Page 29 of Meeting Mr. Christmas
Jed hesitated, as though he wanted to say more, before he mumbled an okay.
Rather than the TV, Jed was loading the DVD player. Noel’s brows raised when he saw the cover sitting on the coffee table.
“You’re a techie, but you still have a DVD player. It doesn’t make sense.” Jed shook his head as he pressed play; it was as though the tense moment in the kitchen had never happened. They were back on track, which, Noel reckoned, was at least better for his nerves.
“Then how would I get to play any one of my fine rom-com collection, lovingly assembled over so many years?”
Jed huffed. “I can’t believe I have willingly, and of my own volition, just selected a movie about a woman who only dresses in pink and?—”
“Because you know it’s one of my favorites?”
“Yeah, well…”
With the lights turned low, the tree lights gently twinkling, and with Peter nestled between them on the couch, Noel stared at the screen. He knew the film backwards, could quote lines. Rom-coms were his sappy, happy place, guaranteed to lower blood pressure and float away anxieties.
“Hey, you know where she…” Noel turned to Jed, and his words faded.
Jed, propped up in the corner, his head tilted back into the cushions, was asleep. His hair had dried into little tufts and his lips were slightly parted, puffing in and out with each slow breath. Noel carefully removed the mug, loosely cradled in Jed’s hand, and placed it on the coffee table before he switched off the movie, plunging the room into silence. Jed shifted, pushing himself down into the couch, muttering unintelligible words before his breathing became a low, soft snore.
Digging out a couple of fleece blankets from a closet, Noel draped them across Jed. Careful not to wake him, he kissed his fingertips before pressing them lightly to Jed’s brow, gazing down at him for a moment before tiptoeing out, closing the door behind him, to climb, alone, into his empty bed.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Jed draped his arm around Noel’s shoulders as he surveyed the crowd. It was the biggest he could remember and, shifting and surging as it waited for the parade to pass by, it would be easy for him and Noel to get separated. He looked up into the sky, clear and without a cloud in sight, the town lights failing to obscure the brightly pulsing stars. No wonder it was so icy, but the snow was forecast to be back with a vengeance in time for Christmas Day.
“Jeez, I’m so cold I think my balls have frozen.” Jed stamped his feet, and Noel chuckled.
“Only your balls? Count yourself lucky.”
Jed smiled. This was good. This was how it should be. This was how the tree lighting should have been, just him and Noel, just like always. They’d go to the beer tent after the parade had gone past, maybe grab something to eat. And visit that stall he’d spotted on the way, the one selling winter hats, because he was sure he’d seen one with a cute dachshund on the front who looked a little like Peter. Noel would love that. Maybe there was a matching scarf and mittens?—
“Hey, Noel. Good to see you.”
Jed’s shoulders tensed. Kent, and just feet away. If the guy thought he was going to be muscling his way back in, he could fuck off. He pulled Noel in closer.
“Jed. You too,” Kent added, his gaze resting on Jed’s possessive arm, his brows raising the smallest fraction and matching the little smile that looked more like a smirk.
“Hi, Kent. Welcome to your first Collier’s Creek Christmas?—”
“Here you go, hun.” A guy pushed his way through the crowd, carrying two hot drinks, looking from Kent to Jed and Noel and back again.
“I think there’s more space over there. Good seeing you both again. Happy Holidays.” Kent hustled the guy with the drinks away, earning irritated looks and complaints from the pressing crowd.
Jed followed their progress. Kent looked back, and Jed caught his eye, before Kent whispered something to the other guy, who looked back at him and Noel with interest before the two of them laughed and turned away.
“If Kent met that guy on the app, he’s having more luck than me. You okay? You’re looking pissed.”
“You still using that thing?” Jed spat out. Still tucked under his arm, Jed felt Noel jerk in surprise. Fuck it, because that wasn’t the only jerk around here.
“Erm, no. The two times I have, it hasn’t been what you’d call a resounding success. But maybe I should give it another go? You know what they say about third time lucky? Look, the Mayor’s about to open the parade.”
An enormous cheer went up. It saved Jed from answering, from saying what he really wanted to say, that Noel didn’t need that stupid app to meet yet another asshole boyfriend.
The discordant sounds of the high school band filled the crisp winter air. It didn’t matter that it was out of tune and out of time, as they played popular carols that had the good-naturedcrowd cheering and clapping. Camera phones flashed and proud parents waved. The younger band members waved back while the older kids tried their best to pretend their embarrassing moms and dads didn’t exist.
“Do you remember when we were in the school band?” Jed, still holding onto Noel, leaned in, his lips brushing Noel’s earlobe, which was peeking out from under his Santa hat. He felt the rumble of Noel’s laughter before he heard it; it seemed to shiver up through Noel, and Jed shivered in response.
“You were truly terrible and only joined so that you could try to impress that new girl. Do you remember, she was from out of state? What was her name?”
